How To Have A Great First Day At The New Job

Like a Japanese tea ceremony, your first day at the new job offers many opportunities to offend, insult and look like a clueless foreigner.

Whether its figuring out the best exit to avoid the five ‘o’clock rush or how to find the “good” office supplies, it can be a steep learning curve. Today, I’m giving you the insider tips on surviving your first day and leaving with a good impression.

You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression.

Treat the first day like you do a first date – be well groomed, wear clean clothes and take a shower the night before. It goes without saying that you arrive on time but early is best.

Be Patient.

Even at the best company, your first day on the job may not go smoothly. If you get snappy, it WILL reach your boss and your new coworkers; information about the new guy/gal travels fast.

Be Prepared.

Your first day on the job means you’ll be filling out a lot of paperwork. Make sure to bring your required forms of ID and any other information HR asks you to bring.

Note: If you are a senior level leader and you come prepared you get bonus points.

Watch Your Body Language.

Don’t spend your downtime checking Facebook. If you are in a large orientation class, spend some time talking with your fellow new hires, even those that you won’t work with daily. If you are at a smaller company, walk around the office and introduce yourself, linger in the break room, talk to the receptionist, etc. The key is to look actively engaged.

Take Notes.

Nothing says, “I have no regard for your time or training” like taking absolutely no notes. If you are lucky someone will foist a notebook on you and “suggest” you take notes, but this rarely happens:

Say Thank You.

At 5:00 on your first day, you may be bored out of your mind or your brain may be completely fried but before you dash out the door, stop and say “thank you” to your manager, your peers and anyone else who took the time out of their day to help you.